TUPAC'S LAST STAND

Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, October 8, 1997

"Gang Related" is a mundane cops-as-vigilantes picture that's notable mostly for being the last movie of rapper / actor Tupac Shakur.

Shakur seemed on his way to a solid film career when he was killed last September in what police believe is a feud between East and West Coast rap factions. (No offense intended to the cult of true believers who think he's not dead.) He had received nice notices for his work in Ernest Dickerson's "Juice," and held his own against the talented Tim Roth in "Gridlock'd."

In "Gang Related" he plays the police partner of Jim Belushi, who is portraying - no surprise - a loud-mouthed lout. That's not much competition, and Shakur's role here isn't much of a challenge; during long stretches of the picture, he has little to do except look conscience-stricken. Still, he cuts and appealing screen figure. He has presence, and the camera seems to love him.

Davinci and Rodriguez (Belushi and Shakur) are police detectives who've crossed the line. They sell dope to drug dealers, whom they later assassinate. Davinci wants to retire to Hawaii, while Rodriguez has gambling debts; but it's not just about money. They're streamlining the justice process, eliminating troublesome judges, juries and lawyers. As Davinci says after their latest killing, that's "one less drugstore on the street."

The game begins to turn when one of their victims is found to be a DEA agent. They need a fall guy, and pick on a homeless drunk (Dennis Quaid) who lives in an alley near the apartment of Davinci's stripper-girlfriend, Cynthia (Lela Rochon). After planting some evidence - which, according to this film, is standard police operating procedure - and convincing the addled Quaid character that he actually performed the killing, they rest easy.

Wouldn't you know it, the drunk sobers up in jail and turns out to have big-time connections, including an ace lawyer played with cool elegance by James Earl Jones. What follows is a comedy of errors, with emphasis on the comedy, as Davinci and Rodriguez manipulate evidence and persuade the reluctant Cynthia to perjure herself. Writer-director Jim Kouf ( "Operation Dumbo Drop" ) recognizes the farcical edge in this stale stuff, and underlines it, as the two cops are forced to desperate improvisations, none of which turns out right.

Kouf does an acceptable directing job, but the material is retreads - and retreads of retreads. Belushi, with goatee and discount-mall wardrobe, is a standard-issue angry cop. Shakur has charisma, and, luckily, the less thankless role: at least his character has a vestige of scruples. Rochon doesn't register strongly as the girlfriend. It's fairly slim pickings all around, and, worse, may have the depressing side effect of reinforcing cynicism about police ethics.

The soundtrack includes a couple of numbers performed by Shakur, but, surprisingly, the music isn't given a high profile. The film is dedicated to Shakur's memory.